When people talk about visiting Europe, Slovakia probably isn't one of the first countries on their list. But for those that love nature, mountains, and a simple kind of life, this country is a must-do. The High Tatras span a large portion of the north side of Slovakia and their beauty remains pure as most foreigners still flock to the Alps. Most Czechs and Slovakians, however, are aware of the Tatra's beauty and they flock to these mountains to enjoy skiing in the winter and endless hikes in the summer.
Strbske Pleso is one of the top places to see in the Tatras and there are plenty of hikes around there worth undertaking. At the recommendation of our Airbnb host, we decided on the hike up to the Skok Waterfall and enjoyed every step along the way. The hike started with beautiful views of the mountains around us, surrounded by the pinks and purples of the summer meadows and then got rockier and rockier as it led into a nice cool forest.
About two thirds of the way into it, we heard the stream and saw the waterfall in the distance. Once we made it up to the waterfall, we couldn't resist climbing up through the rock to the top to see the view.
What if the most beautiful path was never meant to be straight and effortless but instead was meant to weave in countless ways with its occasional challenging and steep uphill climbs so that we could fully experience the greatness of our own courage when another fear is conquered, so that we could soak in the magnificence of the world around us along the journey and breathe life so fully into our lungs that in the end there will have been no doubt we were truly alive in every second. & what if every uphill climb leads to a field where the symphony of colors is so bright that our sense of wonder is re-kindled and we remember that we are the creators of our reality even as we are the cells of a much larger organism, full of the same essence that animates these fervent landscapes. & what if no matter how ordinary it all may seem, it is all simply the process of perfection playing itself out?
❤SO